Which plants are safe (and not safe) for cats?

Many indoor cats love to nibble plants, but what’s a home without plants? My friend Shenandoah had a good idea: Just tell me which plants are safe for cats so I don’t have to worry about this behavior. Most plants can weather some nibbling.

So I did some research at the aspca.org database and ended up with a list of common houseplants that are safe, and four common ones that are not. I think that many cats show an instinct to avoid poisonous plants, but there is no guarantee of that. (Case in point: Phil and Joel pulled down the Pothos recently, so we had to get rid of it.)

House plants that are safe for cats

You and your cat can enjoy the Feng Shui of this lovely greenery in your home.

House plants that are poisonous to cats

If you think you may have a poison emergency, immediately contact your vet or or the ASPCA 24-hour emergency poison hotline at 1-888-426-4435.

1. Ivy is toxic to cats

Avoid all kinds of ivy.

2. Pothos is toxic to cats (typically not deadly though):

Pothos

3. Philodendron is toxic to cats (typically not deadly though):

Philodendron

4. Kalanchoe is toxic to cats:

Kalanchoe

And what about the Christmasy Poinsettia?Well, it goes on the unsafe list, but turns out it’s not that deadly: “Irritating to the mouth and stomach, sometimes causing vomiting, but generally over-rated in toxicity.”

CAT TIP: Sometimes indoor cats just really seem to be obsessed with eating something green. I think they are craving grass. The chlorophyll is cleansing and grass may prevent cancer. When we have cat grass around, our cats don’t seem so interested in the plants.

Yes, the pictures are extremely helpful! I had no idea the Lucky Bamboo was toxic to cats. I’ve taken several of my plants to work after reading your blog, Liz – thanks so much for helping us to keep our fur babies safe…
I also read on your FB page that Essential Oils are toxic to cats. I have been using a combination of Tea Tree Oil, hydrogen peroxide and Biokleen as a general household cleaner, thinking this was safe – YIKES! I want to use something for disinfecting. Do you think it’s OK to just use straight hydrogen peroxide? Or, I wonder if Clorox Anywhere is OK… the active ingredient is Sodium Hypochlorite – 0.00095% and it has chlorine as 0.009%. It doesn’t say what the “other ingredients” are, however… the bottle says it is safe to use around kids, pets and food.

Thank you for the heads up of using vinegar and water, which is more natural and I also use this to deter scratching in places ogher than scratch post. Daisy May soon started using her scratch post. Bless her. Thanks again

Wow, am surprised that chemicals are in the house but hey, which are deadly to a puss cat! You can get a pet antibacterial spay from sainsbury’s called PETFACE Disinfectant Spray which kills 99%.99 bacteria and viruses including kennel cough, canine distemper and parvo virus. 24 hour germ protection. Neutralizes odours and leaves a fresh, clean scent. Suitable for aeras where pets live, sleep and feed. Ideal for cleaning cat litter trays and small animal cages.

This product indredients are as follows: 5% Surfactant, Disinfectant, Perfume, Also contains Polyaminopropyl Biguanide. See http://www.byotrol.co.uk/pet

I use this product on all my floors and where Daisy May goes and would not use anything else. Kitchen floor and bathroom too. And I keep antibacterial hand wash and hand rub in the kitchen and bathroom. The only poisnous chemicals I have in the flat is for the loo which is locked away so puddycat paws cannot reach.

You can also pick this product at Pets At Home, as well as Sainsbury’s main supermarkets. You can add to your online shopping. I think it was £2.99 ish. I hope this helps. Blessinsgs.

We have a lot of Spider Plants in the house. Our cats love to chew on them.

I’m always bringing grass inside during the non-winter months. The fiber cleans out the hairballs and tones the gut. The minerals and chlorophyll is really good for them too. They love the smell and taste of grass.

Blessings Liz Cat for the list of safe plants is so important. We have just adopted a 6 year old Black n Whit Short Hair Daisy May and she loves sunning in the bay window. I grow many herbs and plants in my bay window other from two pots off catgrass, there is a huge Aloe Vera, Money Plant, Esater Cactus, Geranium (which we are taking back down to the allotments), and a Begonia. Are any of the plants poisonous to Daisy May?! Meantime, I have two pots of valerian and catmint growing indoors and have a small trough am setting up for a herb trough with Rosemry, Sage, Oregano and Mint. And Parsley in the kitchen window. Thank you for you important info shared, much appreciated and purrrrs Daisy May (puss cat) and my mummy Rainbow Lizzie

You might want to reconsider your safe rating of spider plants. They can cause nausea in cats and after vomiting frequently a cat might stop eating and then dive headlong towards death. I’ve lost one cat to that and had another come close before removing the spider plant. Be on the safe side: keep spider plants out of cats reach.

Blessings Doobie Keebler, thank you for the heads up for Spider Plant. I removed the plant as yes Daisy May had a smallnepisode after just munching on a small leave, but thankfully she is fine and checked over by her vet. Plus, since we have removed the Geranium with is lethal as is Aloe Vera plants so they have been banished from her reach and taken down to our greenhouse. We have now a main list of 10 herbs which are for happy and healthy cats, and most of them are bought from Abbeybotanicals in amazon, chamomile, burdock n valerian. and seedong some Echinacea, and plamted Lanender, Rosemary, Oregano and Parsley. And she loves her Green Beans and Carrots too. Thank you again for the heafs up. I will pass this information about Spinder Plants on Daisy’blog. Blessings.

Doobie, thank you for sharing your experience and warning here about the spider plants. APSCA says they are “not known to be toxic but too much of any plant can make a cat vomit.” But, if you lost a cat after they ate that plant then that is indeed a concern!

Among the herbs that repel cats are Rue, Canina, citronella, lavender, rosemary, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.Anise, Bergamot, Castor,Calendula and Chives. Cats should stay away if you plant them as a border around your flowerbeds or intersperse them among the other plants in your garden.

First of all, it’s wrong to keep nonhuman animals as pets. I’m all for adopting and rescuing captive cats (who are often forced to live in appalling conditions), but am against further domestication of animals. Cats, like anybody else, like to go outside, explore, and do what they want. Keeping anyone indoors all the time is unnatural and cruel. I am caring for two rescued cats who live with me. I let them use the yard and go in and out as they want. I would never think of keeping a cat in a tiny apartment, at least not permanently.

I like the plant ideas. I am going to buy some bamboo plants to put in my house.

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Welcome, cat lover! My name is Liz and this blog is devoted to the health and happiness of cats and their delightful, creative, intelligent, busy humans. I'm a writer and holistic nutritionist who has always been inexplicably obsessed with felines. I seek to save cat lovers time and heartache and to celebrate our "soul cats."

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The information provided here should not be a substitute for professional veterinary treatment. The advice here is general and the authors cannot be held responsible for unexpected reactions to suggestions contained herein.

Do not try to diagnose or treat a feline health problem without consulting a qualified veterinarian.